Haunting images of cars caught in the California wildfires

Beauty born of tragedy

In August, wildfires once again ravaged California, reviving painful memories for victims of the devastation that hit the region a year ago, when 44 were killed and more than 100,000 people were forced from their homes.
There were automotive victims, too, and Oakland Hills resident Russell Hyzen saw the beauty in the twisted, burnished metal that remained, and realized that they could hold the key to supporting the people hit hardest by the fires.
With his Art Out Of Ashes project, Hyzen and photographer Scott Maddern set out to capture the automotive remains left lying around Santa Rosa and use these fabulous images to raise money for victims of the fires.